Turning basin expansion project completed at North Carolina’s Port of Wilmington

The North Carolina State Ports Authority (NC Ports) is ready to welcome the largest containerships calling on the US East Coast following the completion of Phase II of the Turning Basin Expansion Project at the Port of Wilmington.

The expansion allows the port to accommodate ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) with a length of 365 metres.

The expansion project widened the turning basin in the Cape Fear River from 426 metres to 464 metres. The additional 37 metres allows 14,000TEU vessels to safely and efficiently turn around in the Wilmington Navigational Harbor.

Phase II is an extension of the initial expansion project completed in August 2016 which increased the turning basin from 365 metres to 426 metres.

The recently completed project is one of the key components of port authority’s more than US$200 million capital improvements plan aimed at modernising the Port of Wilmington and enhancing terminal efficiency. Infrastructure improvements include an overhaul of Wilmington’s container terminal and new terminal and gate operating systems.

The terminal renovations are expected to double the Port of Wilmington’s annual throughput capacity to 1.2 million TEUs, triple its refrigerated container capacity, and feature a new container gate complex with increased lanes for inbound and outbound truck traffic.